Departmental Safety Representative DSR Session: Infection Control

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Departmental Safety Representative (DSR)
SessionInfection Control

• A presentation for all employees who could come
  into contact with infectious micro-organisms at
  work

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Who is the audience for this presentation?

• EVERYONE! The basic info included in this
  presentation can help employees be better
  prepared to prevent the spread of infection in
  the community as well as at work (e.g. pandemic
  flu).
• Workers in day care centers, laboratories,
  facilities services, patient care areas, animal
  care areas, food service, and student housing are
  extremely high-risk!  

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What do we mean by Infection Control?

• It means preventing or controlling the spread of
  germs or infections at a facility or institution.
  
• Infections acquired in a hospital are called
  nosocomial infections.

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Infection Control

• You can deal with the risks from infection at
  work in the same way as any other health and
  safety issue by
• identifying the hazards
• assessing the risks
• controlling the risks
• Consider whether you put others at risk of
  infection (e.g. employees picking up infections
  from coworkers ).
• Please dont report to work if you are sick!

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Why is Infection Control Important?

• Infections can increase health-care costs and
  cause inconvenience, pain, or even death.
• You may be exposed to germs that can make you
  sick and possibly keep you out of work.
• You could also spread illness to your family and
  friends.
• YOU are a major factor in preventing the spread
  of infections to others!

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How are infections spread?

• The chain of infection has 5 links.
• A micro-organism (pathogen) that can cause
  disease
• A person who carries the microorganism
• A way from the carrier, such as sneezing,
  coughing, shedding skin, etc. and a method of
  traveling
• A way to enter another person
• A susceptible person who cant fight off the germ

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Chain of Infection
Infection Control Break any link in the chain
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Modes of Transmission for Infection

• A common way people get infections is by rubbing
  their nose or their eyes after their hands have
  been contaminated with the pathogen.
• You can also spread germs directly to others or
  onto surfaces that other people touch. And before
  you know it, everybody around you is getting
  sick.

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How do you prevent the spread of germs?
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Handwashing

• Recognized as the best way of stopping the spread
  of organisms
• Waterless hand washing liquid or gel when sinks
  are not available
• Soap and water
• No indication for antimicrobial soap
• 10-15 seconds of lathering
• Towelettes
• Must be alcohol based if used for hand hygiene

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Handwashing

• Studies have shown that healthcare personnel
  hands are the most common transmitters of disease
  in healthcare facilities.
• Once your hands are soiled/contaminated, germs
  can enter your body if
• You touch the mucous membranes of your mouth,
  eyes or nose
• You have open cuts, nicks or abrasions on your
  skin such as dermatitis or acne.

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Why Handwashing is Difficult
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When to wash hands

• Before eating, drinking, smoking, applying makeup
  or handling contact lenses
• After eating, smoking, coughing, sneezing or
  using the bathroom

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Effective Handwashing

• Lather hands with soap and water.
• Vigorously rub together all surfaces of lathered
  hands for 10 to 15 seconds.
• Rinse hands thoroughly under a stream of water.
• Dry hands completely with a clean, dry paper
  towel.
• Avoid splashing or touching the sink.
• Use a dry paper towel to turn off the faucet.

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Respiratory Etiquette

• Cover nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing
  or sneezing. Dispose of used tissue in the
  nearest waste receptacle.
• Cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your
  uncovered hands.
• Clean hands with soap and water after touching
  respiratory secretions or handling contaminated
  objects.

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Standard Precautions

• Guidelines to decrease the risk of occupational
  exposure to blood or body fluids
• A system of infection control which assumes that
  every direct contact with body fluids is
  infectious and requires every employee exposed to
  direct contact with body fluids to be protected
  as though such body fluids were infected with a
  bloodborne pathogen
• Provides adequate protection against bloodborne
  infections from both humans and animals

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Sharps Disposal

• OSHA requires needleless systems and safer needle
  devices in high-risk areas in the Bloodborne
  Pathogens Standard
• Immediate and proper disposal of sharps into
  puncture resistant containers is imperative.
• To prevent needlesticks, do not bend, remove or
  recap.
• Carefully put contaminated items in the correct
  containers for disposal.

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Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Wear gloves when likely to touch body fluids,
  mucous membranes, or items potentially
  contaminated with blood/body fluids.
• Wear protective eyewear/mask if procedure
  releases droplets into air.
• Wear gown/apron as needed if splashing may soil
  clothing/uniform.
• Change gloves between procedures.

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Waste Disposal

• Properly handle, bag and label infectious
  material before transport.
• Infectious waste includes but is not limited to
  microbiological lab waste, pathology waste,
  sharps devices, and blood/body fluids.

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Sanitation

• Decontamination methods include cleaning,
  disinfecting and sterilizing. Clean up infectious
  spills immediately.
• Wear gloves. Report spills to the Office of
  Environmental Health and Safety at [phone].
• Disinfect all work surfaces when work is
  finished.

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Laundry/Linen

• Use special care with laundry. Dont shake soiled
  linen. Roll edges toward center, place in
  appropriate bags.
• Transport carefully.

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Summary

• Get immunizations that are required or
  recommended.
• Have periodic testing as required or recommended
  for tuberculosis, Hepatitis B and other
  infections.
• Maintain good health with a balanced diet, plenty
  of sleep, and regular exercise.
• Report any infectious illness, such as a cold,
  flu, or infected cut to your supervisor.
• Dont report to work if you are sick.

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• Tulane UniversityOffice of Environmental Health
  Safety (OEHS)Please contact the BBP
  Coordinator for questions, comments, and/or
  interactive discussion. Kellie C. Mayer
  (504-419-1391) kmayer_at_tulane.edu
• If unable to proceed to quiz, type the link below
  into your browser
• http//aurora.tcs.tulane.edu/ehs/enterssn.cfm?test
  num26

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